Back in 2012, Will Arnett and Amy Poehler announced their separation after almost a decade of marriage.
The couple had tied the knot in 2003 after a few years of dating, and while they were married, they welcomed two kids: Archie and Abel, who are both now teenagers.
Ever since they parted ways, Will and Amy have remained close friends and have spoken of each other with respect and love.
So it’s perhaps not surprising that Will refused to answer what TikTok users are calling a gross question about his and Amy’s past relationship that his friend and cohost Jason Bateman asked on the June 22 episode of their SmartLess podcast.
While Will, Jason, and their fellow cohost Sean Hayes were having a very pleasant discussion about “dude shit,” including burping and farting, Jason candidly said, “Sean and I love our power burps… I’ve definitely farted in front of you, Sean,” before adding, “But Willie doesn’t. He doesn’t.”
Jason then casually asked: “Will…did you ever poo in front of Amy?” And naturally, Will didn't seem too keen on the question, jokingly accusing his friend of “looking for clicks.”
“Are you looking for clicks? Are you trying to get something that we can click around?” Will said while laughing.
Doubling down, Jason replied, “Wait, but hang on. You were married to her, had two kids. You guys never went to the bathroom in front of each other?”
In response, Will said, “I’m sorry. The question is, did I poo in front of Amy? And you’re saying that I don’t have manners. What are you talking about? It’s not a good question. I refuse to answer it.”
Reacting to the interaction, some internet users felt that Jason’s question was out of line. “Yeah, that’s a gross question. Good for Arnette [sic] for not answering,” one TikTok user wrote. “Literally why would he ask this ??” someone else questioned.
As you might recall, Jason faced backlash earlier this year over another comment he made on SmartLess.
While speaking with podcast guest Charli XCX in February, Jason questioned the singer’s choice to remain child-free — a subject that she opened up about across her 2024 album Brat.
Charli shared, “I love the fantasy of having a child, like naming it sounds so fun, but like, that is exactly a sign to me as to why I should not have one, the fact that that feels like the coolest part about it and, like, maybe I’m not ready, you know?” In response, Jason told her that she might “change” her mind when she finds the right person.
“I guess I’m backing into giving myself a half-assed compliment here, but my wife did not wanna have kids, so the story goes, so she tells,” he said, referring to his wife, Amanda Anka, with whom he now shares two daughters. “Once we started going out…she was like, ‘OK, I think I can have a kid with this guy.’ So you might find somebody.” Charli responded by calmly informing Jason that she is happily married.
Many internet users applauded Charli’s response to Jason’s remarks, while questioning why he felt the need to press her on the subject. “People with kids are so weird about people who don’t want to have kids,” one person said. “Why do people act like this when women say they don’t want kids, particularly other men? Especially when it’s the woman who carries the majority of the physical and emotional burden when raising children,” another user said.
Jason later acknowledged the backlash during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. He said, “We were having a great conversation about her life growing up as an only child. It seemed like a very natural follow-up to that. That's all it was.”
“I don’t really have much [else] to say about it, except that it is always interesting and valuable and educational to hear people’s thoughts, reactions and feelings to anything I say or do,” he added.
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